If Only They Knew
by Little Red Knight
Summary: The tale of Andromeda Black’s coming of age ball which she didn’t even want in the first place, during which her parents try to arrange a marriage for her. How will she escape the destiny her parents wish her to have? Sorry I suck at summaries.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of JK Rowling's Characters and themes. **

"Andromeda get down here, the guests will be here soon."

On the fourth floor of a manor in the south east of France, stood a young girl with long silky brown hair, which was tied up into an elegant bun with curls framing her face at each side. She was wearing a knee length midnight blue dress, which had a corset top, which her mother instead she wears, that was encrusted with gems. Her mother had gone to the lengths of putting Andromeda into the corset herself, at first, she nearly fainted, as she found it very difficult to breath, but it was ok now she had gotten the hang of it, small breaths and lots of them; around her neck she wore a classic pearl necklace. Tonight's Ball was to celebrate her turning 17 years of age.

To be honest Andromeda had begged her parents not to make it a big deal, she hated the idea of having a ball with all her parent's friends, but her parents had ignored her (like they always did) and planned it anyway. However to all who don't know them it may seem that her parent's main priority was to celebrate their eldest child coming of age, (if you think this I would advise you to seek help and stop thinking everyone is as nice as you) they where looking for a husband for her. You see Andromeda is a pureblood, and not just any pureblood a Black and the Black's have, for many years, had arranged marriage, it had become a tradition.

Andromeda being the oldest with two younger sisters; Bellatrix was the middle child. In Andromeda's opinion Bellatrix was deeply disturbed, Bella as Narcissa called her loved everything dark and evil. Bella had long jet-black hair which when it fell in front of her eyes made her look even darker.

Two years ago Bella had started at Hogwarts and to know one's surprise she was instantly sorted into Slytherin, but a surprise came when Andromeda's favourite cousin Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor. She remembered the next day at breakfast he had received a very painful to the ears Howler, the whole of the great hall had heard what his parents had to say yet he had not been frazzled by it, he was now the newest blood traitor on the family. She was so proud of Sirius; she only wished she had enough guts to stand up to her family.

Anyway Narcissa or Cissy for short was her youngest sister and her favourite out of the two but that wouldn't have been hard. Narcissa was not old enough to go to Hogwarts yet, so every chance Andromeda got she tried to make sure nothing Bella said left an impact on Cissy.

Cissy had long platinum blond hair, which gave people the impressions she was a little angel, she wasn't. She loved to play pranks on people she didn't like and had one hell of a kick on her. Unfortunately when the boy down the road had been rude (in her opinion) he had felt her wrath, which ended in him curled up on the ground after being kicked in a place, which will hurt a boy a lot.

Andromeda knocked gently on Cissy's door, which within a minute was thrown open revealing the little girl:

"What do you think?" she asked as she spun around, her dark green dress flowing around her knees as the gold locket she had been given by Andromeda before she left for Hogwarts hung gently around her delicate little neck.

"You look fantastic, I'm so jealous" Andromeda said smiling warmly at her sister. She missed Cissy so much whilst she was away at school, she had realised a few years ago that the only reason why she returned to her family home was for her little sister. She cared so much for her and only ever wanted her to be happy and if that meant her giving up what she wanted she would do it in a heartbeat.

"Don't be, you look great too." Cissy said a very wide smile spread across her little innocent face.

"Why, thank you Cissy. Shall we go make our grand entrance then?" she chucked as the little girl held out her hand ready to depart. Andromeda took Cissy's hand in hers and led them towards the stairs. Suddenly Bella came out of her room, when she court sight of her siblings a wide smirk spread across her face, strutting over to them, she stood in front of Andromeda before saying very smugly........

"Mother said I was to escort Narcissa down stairs and you were to stay up here until the guests arrived," with that Bella grabbed Cissy's other hand and dragged her down the hall before she could stop them and grab Narcissa back from the claws of the demon, but it was too late as they had already departed.

She returned to her room, grabbed the book she had been reading before she had to get ready for the celebration Ball that she didn't even want. She sat on the bed, leaned against the head board, before opened the book which happened to be the one her best friend had given to her, it was a Muggle book called Little Women, she said it was a classic and that she had to read it, so here she was reading it.

She was just getting to the good part; have you ever noticed that every time you get to a good part in a book or a conversation you get interrupted, anyway I better get back to the story. A house elf appeared at her bed side....

"Miss Black, your mother says it is time for you to make you grand entrance, all the guests are waiting....."

"Tell her I'm on my way" and with that the house elf disappeared. Andromeda ran as fast as she could down the hall, her heels tapping on the old wooden flooring, as she reached the stairs she slowed down. Taking a deep breath (well as deep as she could in her corset), she began to glide down the stairs thinking to herself.

'_I don't want to do this, I don't want to be here, why am I here? Oh yeah Cissy, that's why I'm here to make sure she is ok. Oh my god they're all going to be staring at me, I need to calm down, everything is going to be alright, there is nothing to worry about, the sooner I get down there, the sooner it will all be over and done with.'_

Andromeda had reached the top of last set of stairs when she abruptly came to a stand still. Her 17th birthday would be spent being paraded around the manor by her parents, being asked to dance by obnoxious guys who her parents would no doubt force her to dance with, as they add the guy to the list of possible husbands for her. Oh and don't lets forget all the comments her parents would keep whispering in her ear 'Stand up straight, don't slouch, don't be rude,' maybe she would be able to sneak away early without being noticed, Sirius and Cissy would help.

Gradually she made her way down, once insight all the guests went silently, staring at her hand, looking down she saw she still had her book in hand, _Bugger..._

See unlike most parent who would have been happy their daughter liked to read books, the Blacks saw it as very wrong for a young woman, to be seen reading at an important social event. When looking for a wife, young men don't want a smart, intelligent girl; it was unbecoming (in her parents mind). Putting in behind her back as fast as possible, she used her magic to send it up to her room. Before carrying on down the stairs, trying to act as natural as possible.

In one corner of the entrance hall there was a group of boys looking her up and down, it was really quite scary, she wasn't a object or a piece of meat for that matter. She had finally reached the bottom where her parents were standing either side of her; her mother on one side, father on the other. Her mother slipped her hand in to Andromeda's before venomously whispering

"Don't you ever bring a book downstairs again, do you here me?" after a small nod of understanding from Andromeda, who was still trying to smile at all the guests, her mother continued,

"and don't you ever keep our guests waiting like that again." With that said her father began to address their guests,

"Welcome Ladies and Gentleman to my eldest daughters coming of age dinner, if you would all like to make your way into the dinning room, dinner will be served momentarily."

A second later she felt a gentle tap on the shoulder and turning around slowly she saw who it was. Thomas Flint, the most arrogant, pig-headed Slytherin Andromeda had ever meet. Why would this guy never leave her alone?

"Andromeda my dear, may I escort you to dinner this evening?" Luckily before she could answer another guy's voice replied for her,

"I'm afraid she already promise me, sorry Flint." She knew that voice and she have never been more thankful for it. She spun back around and their stood the best guy she could have though of, at that very moment, her cousin Sirius.

Andromeda turned to apologise to Flint, not that she wanted to but her parent would have had a cow and probably killed her if she had be rude to one of their guests, but he wasn't there.

She felt a slight tug on her arm, before Sirius linked their arms and walked over to the dinning room,

"Hey Andy, how's it going? Though I think I can guess from what just happened?"

"How can I thank you enough Sirius for what you just did for me?" she said smiling at him, he had grown so much over the summer, he was now taller then her even though he was younger than her.

"You need to get out of here as soon as. Those guys looked like they were going to eat you. But don't worry about it I'll help you escape. What is a young Marauder like myself supposed to do at such events as these?" He smiled turning to her.

"Sirius, promise me if you ever need help or just somewhere to crash or someone to cover for you or anything, feel free to come and find me."

"Will do."

Andromeda was lead into the dinning room where yet again she was one of the last to enter; she always was for some reason. Sirius walked over and pulled out her chair, for her before helping her take her seat. Dinner past without too much trouble, well that was until her father raised from his seat and announced that guests were to enter the ballroom where the evening would carry on with dancing. However this time Sirius wasn't quick enough and Flint had come over like in a flash. Clearing his throat to get her attention he put his arms out, seeing no other choose Andromeda took his arm and allowed him to lead (well in his case it was more like drag) her to the ballroom.

All around the room couples were waltzing around to the music; it was at that moment that she noticed that Flint had dragged her into the middle on the floor. Before she could object he spun her into him, taking one of her delicate hand in his and placing his other on her lower back (and when I say lower back, I mean the lowest part on the back possible.) However it wasn't that which made her worried, it was the fact that he had the cheek to squeeze her ass and the fact he was holding her against him way too tightly. Andromeda gentle placed her free hand on his shoulder before he begun to lead them round the dance floor. All she could think of was how much she loathed him. She begun to wonder why on earth he would like her, well after all the very clear signs she had given him at school about how much she hated him he still came after her, it made no sense.....

"May I say how sexy you look this evening?" he whispered into her ear in what seemed to be a suggestive voice, who did this GIT think he was? One thing was defiantly for sure, he did not know how to treat a woman with the respect she deserved.

"No you many not."

Suddenly Flint spun her around and made her bump in to him, he held her even closer than before, whispering,

"Listen now, and very carefully, you will be my wife, I am going to do anything I can to make it so, so you better get use to it. Even now my parents are having a word with yours, if I have anything to do with it, we will be engaged by the end of the night and we will be married within the month. May be we should have a test run for the .........." Flint didn't get a chance to finish because Sirius had made his way over and heard the last bit. Lightly Sirius grabbed Andromeda's arm and pulled her away, Sirius than moved in front of Thomas,

"You listen to me Flint, and listen good because I am only going to say this once. If I ever find out that you have gotten too close to any of my cousins again, I will kill you...............Come along Andromeda, I believe you promised to dance with me." Sirius replied, taking her hand softly he lead her to the corner of the dance floor, after a few minutes Sirius began to speak again....

"Andromeda, promise me you wont go near that guy again, what ever happens, promise me?" Sirius whispered soothingly in her ear.

"I'll try Sirius; I promise I'll try." And with that they carried on dancing for about an hour until Cygus Black (Andromeda's Father) decided to make an announcement.

I would like to say beforehand that it was not good news....

"Can I have your attention please? I would like to announce that only five minutes ago, an agreement was reached between Mr Flint and myself. I would now like to announce the engagement between by eldest daughter Andromeda Black and Thomas Flint" The whole room went silent, no one said anything for a while when a slow round of applause filled the room. Sirius turned to Andromeda who was still in their dance position,

"Sirius...did...hhee...just......................."

She Fainted.

Luckily for her Sirius had seen something like this coming so he was prepared and managed to catch her before she hit the floor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She awoke to find herself in her bedroom; Sirius was sat by her bed side,

"Sirius, please tell me that it was all a dream and that my father didn't just say I was marrying the prat."

"I am so sorry"

"Don't say sorry, say it was a dream and everything is ok" Andromeda whispered, tears seeping from her eyes, this couldn't be happening. How was she supposed to tell Ted that she couldn't be his girlfriend anymore because she had to marry her enemy?

Her father was making her leave the love of her life and marry her enemy instead. For a second it crossed her mind that if her father only knew how much her and Ted loved each other he wouldn't make her marry Flint, then she came back to reality and realised that it wouldn't have made any difference, whether he knew or not.

"I don't know why you are crying, my dear fiancé? You should be happy, you are going to be married to me after all" came a voice from the doorway.

There stood the prat man himself, Thomas Flint a smirk plastered across his face. Andromeda couldn't take it any more, the stupid prat, what the hell was his problem? After the all the times she told him to get lost but of course not always in such a nice manner he was still here making her life a living hell........

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR FUCKING PROBLEM? WHY HASN'T IT GOT INTO THAT THICK DUMB HEAD OF YOURS THAT I HATE YOU. I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU, FROM THE VERY ENDS OF THE HAIR ON THAT DUMB HEAD OF YOURS, TO YOUR LONGEST FRIGGING TOE NAIL. I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU. HAS IT GONE IN YET? I............. HATE.......... YOU." She shouted, she was beyond angry, she was stood right in front of him, roaring into his face and yet there he stood, still smirking.

"Dear, dear Andromeda, I really don't care whether you hate me or not, because you are marrying me whether you like it or not. You are going to be my wife by Graduation day and not just that but you will be carrying my child by then too if I have anything to do with it." he leaned forward so his face was only a few centimetres away from hers, before adding

"And Andromeda, I wont have my wife talking in such a way especially to me, got it. I am looking forward to our wedding night you know."

"I'm glad because there isn't going to be one because I would rather die then marry you" she whispered in reply and slammed the door in his face locking it as she went. She could hear him shouting though the door with anger at what she had just done but to be perfectly honest she really couldn't care less.

"Sirius, I'm running away" she said as she turning and headed to her wardrobe doors trying to find her trunk, it was exactly where she had asked the house elves to leave it. She flung it open and begun to put all the clothes she would need, well all the clothes she could fit in it anyway.

"Andromeda, where will you go? They'll come looking for you, you know that." Sirius tried to reason even though he knew it would do no good.

"I DON'T CARE, I WONT MARRY HIM, I WONT, I won't" she collapsed on the floor in a pile. Sobbing and Sobbing as she continued to chant 'I won't marry him, I wont.'

All Sirius could do was walk over to his cousin and wrap her up in his arms, hugging her to him. It was killing him that Andromeda was so upset, it wasn't normal. Andromeda was the strongest out of all of them and for her to be like this was heart breaking to see. He had to help her, he knew that if she married Flint, his cousin would become someone else, no matter how long it took Flint, he would break her spirit, and she would be a broken soul wondering around a large house like a ghost.

"Andromeda, please calm down, you know I can't deal with girls crying. I'm going to help you escape." he lifted her up with him, wiping away her last few tears, as they set to work on packing the last few remaining things she would need.

"So where are you planning on running to?" Sirius asked bluntly.

"I'm going to go to Teddy's. He'll look after me. He loves me." she smiled. She remembered the first time Ted had told her he loved her it was last year at Hogwarts, they had been outside after hours. He had taken her outside to celebrate their five-month anniversary; he had made a special picnic with candles and her favourite flowers. They had spent the evening under the star lit sky lying near the lake talking about the past five months. However, they had soon gotten on to the subject of their future and that was when he had said those three simple words. They are such simple words yet the mean behind them was so, so much more to her. She still loved it every time he told her that he loved her. Every morning he would come and pick her up for breakfast and tell her he loved her after they had shared a small kiss.

"Who's Teddy? oh never mind if he loves you he can't be that bad. But do you love him?"

"Yes, very much" Andromeda blushed a deep scarlet red.

"Well then he's alright with me. I must say that is a lovely colour of red you're wearing." Sirius chuckled as she punched him lightly on the arm. Once everything was packed Andromeda shrunk the trunk so it would fit in her coat pocket, slipped on her coat and begun to make her way to the door, before Sirius interrupted

"Andromeda, where pray tell are you going?" He asked curiously.

"I told you I'm leaving; I'm going to Teddy's place" She announced simply.

"I know that but you seem to be under the impression that you can just walk out of the front door, and no one will stop you. Well I have news for you, the minute you leave this room the chances are very high that Flint, your parents and every one of the guests is going to ask where you are going.

Then you would have two options: a) lie and tell them you were just going outside for some fresh air, if you did this they might come with you and they will defiantly tell your parents or lover boy, or

b) tell them the truth, this resulting in you getting caught very quickly and almost very likely resulting in you being watched every hour of every day of your life until you are married off to Flint.

Do you see what I am getting at here?" once said Sirius's eye slicked to the window then back to her, trying to indicated to her what was her only option.

"You want me to climb out of the window, don't you?" She asked shocked yet knowing the answer.

"Well it is your best change of getting out of this place" her eyes instantly fell on her bedroom window. There would be no problem in her getting though it that was for sure, it was the climbing down that worried her the most as her bedroom was on the fourth floor.

"Sirius, are you honestly being serious? You want me to climb down the** front** of this manor from the **fourth **floor" she asked. All she got in reply was a simple nod.

_Ok Andromeda you can do this, think about Teddy and everything will be ok._ Sirius helped her open the window and slipped out the window before her. All the way down from her window were long vines that had been mirrored on the other side of the house as well. Sirius had climbed down before her so she knew the path to follow. Then it was her turn.

_Think of Teddy and everything will be ok. His cute little smile, the way his lips curls ever so lightly at the corner of his mouth every time he sees you. The way his face always lights up any room he's in. He will be over the moon when you show up at his place. I wonder if his parents will mind a lot, probably not they seemed to like you last time you met them, and Teddy did say they liked me, but he could have just said that because he didn't want to upset me. Oh god, they don't like me......._

"Andromeda"

"What?" she looked around and found Sirius right next to. She had made it down without knowing it. She had a quick look around her to check that no one was watching them.

"YES" She said jumping up and down in her dress, after only a minute or so she had to stop as she was having difficult breathing, _stupid corset, when I get to teddy's I am changing out of this god forsaken dress, I can barely breath then again, I bet Teddy will like it....but then again Teddy likes me in everything I wear. God I love him, I don't know what I did to deserve him. The minute I get outside these gates I am going to apparate straight to him. Wait a minute what about Narcissa? I can't leave her. _

"Sirius, promise me something?"

"Anything, just hurry up already before someone sees"

"Look after Cissy for me please. She was the only reason I stayed here for so long in the first place, promise me."

"Of course."

"Thank you so much Sirius, I couldn't have done it without you. If you ever need a place to stay just send an owl to me" she embraces her cousin, she couldn't thank him enough but she knew one day she would find away to thank him. Suddenly she heard a voice from inside calling her name.

"Run" Sirius whispered in her ear and that was exactly what she did. She could hear people come outside; there voices shouting her name after her, she had reached the gate when she had a quick look behind her they were catching up with her quickly. She pulled out her wand and blasted the gates open before she kept on running, she promised herself from that moment on she would not go back there no matter what.

She ran straight to her Ted Tonk's house, not stopping to look behind her. That was her past, and her future was straight ahead of her with Ted. She was finally free.

A/N Ok so this is my first fic so please be kind to me and review.

I would like to dedicate it to my big sister, who pushed me into putting my Fictions on this website, so thanks for believing in me.


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